Bag for bowling accessories



Sept. 2, 1958 L. HORWITZ 2,850,063

BAG FOR BOWLING ACCESSORIES Filed Nov. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J/YVE/YTOE .5 50 H 021w rz 3 Y :4 TroE-wan Sept. 2, 1958 L-. HORWITZ 2,850,063

7 BAG FOR BOWLING ACCESSORIES Filed Nov. 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet? Fr 6- lM/ENTOE LE0 fiazw/rz I". TOE/V5) United States Patent BAG FOR BOWLENG ACCESSORIES Leo Horwitz, Chicago, Ill. Application November 15, 1957, Serial No. 696,719

3 Claims. (Cl. 150-52) The present invention relates to bowling ball portage bags and concerns itself particularly with luggage of th1s class which also provides accommodations for carrying a pair of bowling shoes protectively spaced from the ball.

Bowling ball bags have been known before in which provision has been made for containing the shoes into which the bowler must change before entering upon the alleys for play. In such known devices, no provision has been made for protecting the shoes from becoming crushed or deformed while drying out following previous use by reason of impingement by the ball, or where separate compartments for "ball and shoes have been provided, insufficient ventilation has been provided to permit the proper drying and restoration of the shoes especially in the case of users given to considerable perspiration during such exercise. In other examples, separate access openings have had to be provided to the separate compartments for ball and shoes entailing more bother to the user while preparing as well as when packing to leave, and greater manufacturing cost to the producer of the luggage. In still other examples of bowling balls bags of this class, top-heavy and therefore unstable distribution is involved which results in a unit that may not be depended upon to stand erect in a moving vehicle or when placed out of hand to relieve the. burden of portage.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a bowling ball portage bag combined wlth a within contained ball supporting pedestal or framework so designed that upon opening the perimeter fitted fastening elements, access is at once gained to both the ball and shoes with abundant facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dual compartment bag for bowling ball and shoes in which the separation between the two compartments is sufficient only for the purpose of keeping the ball away from 1mpinging upon the shoes and not so as to impair the accessibility of air circulation to the shoe storage space.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ball and shoe containing article of luggage which is economical to manufacture while possessing all of the attractive advantages of utility and durability required of such article under a wide condition of customer needs and conveniences.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are such as will appear more clearly during the course of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in both of which, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bowling ball bag in closed condition featuring various advantages of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same bag shown open and on a slightly enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view taken approximately along line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

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Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately along line 4-4 of Fig, 1, 1 v

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the removable supporting pedestal or framework which combines with the bag to provide the dual compartment utility, and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken approximately along line 6-6 of Fig. 5. I

The bowling bag generally indicated 11 may be made of leather, fabric or one of the flexible synthetics now popular in medium priced luggage. It is preferably constructed of symmetrical half sections 12 and 13, Figs. 1 and 2, each comprising a substantially parabolic panel stitched perimetrically to an adjacent contour strip 14 or 15. The bottom edge of the parabolic panels is preferably turned under as at 16, Fig. 4, and thereat stitched 17, to a floor panel 18, of relatively stiff material. In similar manner the contour strips 14 and 15 of the two uppermost half sections 12 and 13 may also be turned under at their extremities 19, Fig. 3, which are of but brief extent, Fig. l at the access side, anterior as viewed in this illustration. The posterior part of these strips may join or even be integral and may extend across the full rear edge of the bag where the floor panel meets them.

The two contour strips 14 and 15 butt each other along a major extent of their parabolic contour as best seen in Fig. 3 and are thereat provided with interlocking zipper elements 2i and 22, adapted to be controlled in the usual manner by means of a slide fastener 23 of the conventional type. At their access aperture end of the bag, anterior in Fig. 1, the butting edges of strips 14 and 15 terminate at a level considerably short of the floor as indicated at 24 in Fig. 2, and thereat the trip panels are preferably doubled back upon themselves and edge stitched as at 25 to provide gusset sections 26 of pliable material such as continuations of the strips 14 and 15 themselves. The gussets 26, in turn are substantially triangular and have their edges opposite the stitching 25 sewn to a relatively stiff backing panel 27, so that when the zipper elements 21-22 are detached and the bag open as seen in Fig. 2, the panels 14-15, 26 and 27 form a continuous but flexible Wall which is yieldable to give ready access to the shoe containing space beneath the ring formation 31 of pedestal 32.

When these intersewn components are made to lie doubled over one another, as is the case when the zipper elements are interlocked and after the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, the stiff backing panel 27 provides a closure to the triangular area 33, Fig. 1, whereby to protect the shoe compartment or space against unauthorized entry. Yet when the zipper is fully opened, as shown in Fig. 2, easy access is afforded to either or both of the dual utility spaces, so that the user may by means of a single zipper operation dispose all accommodations of the bag at once and in similar manner by one stroke operation completely secure the same.

The pedestal 32 possesses the all-over configuration of a truncated pyramid, including the formed wire symmetrical components 34 and 35, each of which is preferably made of relatively rigid wire stock having about 4 inch diameter. This member may be fabricated of the two components 34 and 35 identically jig formed to include a rectangular base wire consisting of three contiguous lengths 36, 37 and 38, and inwardly inclined or sloping risers 39, one on each terminal of its length 36 and 38. Across the top and connecting the risers 39 of each component 34 and 35, is a bridging length of wire 41, the central portion of which is curvedly shaped to constitute its related half portion of the composite ring 31 which nestles the bowling ball therewithin as best revealed in Figs. 3 and 4.

To integrate the two components 34 and 35 together,

there may be utilized a pair of bent wire beam ties 42 and 43, each of which includes opposite downwardly sloping rail sections bent from the short length of horizontal central portion 44 and preferably secured to the components 34 and 35 as by welding at points 45 to lengths 37 and as at 45, Fig. 4, to the horizontal bridging lengths 41. In this connection, it is to be noted that the adjacent pairs of risers 39 on each side of the assembly, are advantageously spaced from each other slightly and otherwise parallelly disposed. This practice subjects the short section of wire between the bridge wires 41 to some degree of torsion under the weight of the load carried by the ring 31, and tends to spread the lowermost extremities of the risers 39, although the total assembly is adequately braced within the wall confinement which surrounds the floor panel 18.

As additional safeguard, however, the risers may be lashed together against spreading by the use of a pair of brace clamps 47, each formed of sheet metal to the proper dimensions for encompassing the risers under tension, Fig, 6. As shown, brace clamps 47 are provided with curved side portions 48, so that they may be snapped into place and so held by the normal tension which prevails in the two adjacent riser elements. Optionally, of course, the clamp elements may be cn'mped into secure placement or some other forms of support may be used instead similarly fastened or even welded thereat.

Near the uppermost ends of the parabolic side panels 51 and 52, Figs. 1 and 4, there may be stitched into suitable supporting position a pair of ring loops 53, into each of which is fitted a coupling ring 54 for connecting thereto a related handle 55 of a pair which may be used to carry the bag. By taking a hold of both handles, as may be easily manipulated on the part of any bowler, regardless of stature or prowess, the bag together with all of its within contained equipment may be nicely carried to and from the bowling establishments. When set down, out of hand, the unit comprises a compact, well balanced and attractive accouterment which amateur and professional should be proud to own.

When ready to bowl, the user need but slide the zipper block 56, Fig. 3, from its position as shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereupon the interior of the entire bag become-s at once accessible. The shoes may then be removed first, or the ball first, as may be preferred and the players street shoes inserted into the space where the bowling shoes had been stored. It is to be noted that reaching for the shoes may be done without having to stoop or crouch to manipulate a lower level access closure or it latching device. The repacking acts are the reverse and otherwise just as simple.

While the invention has been disclosed in contemplation of an arbitrary embodiment, this is not intended to constitute any restriction of scope, except as supported by the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A bag for bowling accessories which comprises a space enclosing member having a rectangular floor panel, a pair of opposite substantially parabolic side panels secured to said floor panel, a pair of adjacent contour strips each perimetrically seamed to one of said side panels, said contour strips being integrated together at one end of said member and thereat turned under and stitched to said floor panel, an upstanding backing panel at the other end of said member constituting a continuation of said floor panel, a pair of gusset sections made of pliable material and having triangular outline, each stitched at one edge to an outermost edge of said backing panel and to an adjacent edge of a related one of said contour strips, a pair of zipper attachment elements secured to the meeting edges of said contour strips, and a pedestal adapted to be contained within said member formed of bent and intersection-welded wire stock comprising a portion forming a floor panel defining rectangle and a portion above and spaced from the floor panel level defining a bowling ball supporting ring.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said pedestal is comprised of symmetrical components each defining one-half of the floor panel rectangle and ball supporting ring, in combination with a pair of bent wire beam ties each located at one side of the pedestal assembly and each comprising an intermediate portion welded to the supporting ring portions of said components and downwardly sloping rail portions welded to the panel defining rectangles.

3. A pedestal for supporting a bowling ball at an elevation above a bowling shoe storage compartment which comprises a unitary member formed entirely of wire stock, a portion of said member comprising a formed nesting ring in horizontal central position, a pair of riser portions forming continuations of said nesting ring at opposed sides thereof, a rectangular floor panel defining portion surrounding said nesting ring and riser portions, and beam ties welded at each side of the nesting ring portion as well as to the extremities of said floor panel defining portions for thereby bracing said riser portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

